Gardeners and others who use hoses for various purposes have been annoyed and inconvenienced by the leakage problem which is so common with conventional couplings used to join sections of hoses and the like. One of the main disadvantages of existing couplings has been due to the fact that they are relatively thin, flat, annular washers which are usually positioned in the female coupling member and compressed by the end of the male member when the members are connected together. The known washers have been made of a rubber or rubber-like material which is compressed under pressure to form a seal between the coupling members. After relatively few uses, such washers lose their elasticity and become compacted, hard and brittle, and it soon becomes necessary to use a tool such as a wrench or a pair of pliers on the coupling members to compress the washers sufficiently to prevent leakage, and even this doesn't always work. This is highly undesirable, and many people simply put up with a certain amount of leakage until the washer is so deteriorated that it must be replaced. The replacement of the known washers has also been a source of irritation, since as the washers flatten and lose their resiliency they also tend to enlarge in diameter within the female member, becoming lodged therein, and are difficult to remove. More often than not, it is necessary to use a tool such as a screwdriver or a knife to chip out the old washer before a new one can be installed.
All of these and other disadvantages of known coupling constructions are well known and documented, and all are overcome by the present construction which teaches the construction and use of an improved coupling means, including as a portion thereof, an improved and longer lasting resilient tubular member which is easy to install and remove, does not become compacted, hard and brittle, and can be repeatedly used without substantially diminishing its sealing action and without requiring any special tools for tightening the coupling members. Furthermore, the resilient member used in the subject coupling means normally extends beyond the free end of one of the coupling members when installed, so that it helps to prevent damage to that member when the member is dropped or bumped against something, and the resilient member can be made to fit snugly into one of the coupling members so that it will not easily come out and be lost.
The substantially greater length of the resilient tubular member used in the present construction results in many important advantages over conventional constructions. For example, such greater length increases the resilient memory of the tubular member over that of shorter members or washers. Also because of its greater length, the present tubular member proves easier to remove and install, and requires less tightening force be applied to produce a sealed condition, thereby extending the life of the members as compared to known devices. Furthermore, the portions of the subject coupling means against which opposite ends of the resilient member abut are located on opposite sides of the cooperating threaded portions used on the coupling means, and the resilient member therefore serves to protect the threaded portions from water while improving the seal. Therefore, the present coupling means are less likely to leak due to having a resilient member located adjacent to the place in the coupling means where the threaded portions of the coupling members are engaged.
The two most pertinent prior art constructions known are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,596,931 and 3,108,826. U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,931 discloses a construction wherein a seal is formed by compressing deformable peripheral flange members between terminal ends of pipe sections. The means disclosed in this patent require the use of more members than the present construction, and the members used are more costly and complicated. Further, while the patented construction utilizes specially constructed parts, the present construction can be made using conventional products modified only slightly, and this is an important advantage thereover. Still further, the patented construction could not easily be applied for effecting the seal between male and female coupling members.
The construction shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,826 includes means for effecting a seal between two mating coupling components, but it accomplishes the seal by providing a deformable sleeve member which, after being compressed by the cooperative engagement of the threaded surfaces on the respective members, resiliently expands in a radial direction against the threaded portions of the mating members to insure their continued cooperation. The present construction, by contrast, effects its seal by the axial compression of its tubular member by at least one flange located within one of the coupling members.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide improved and more leakproof means for sealing between conduit members which are coupled together.
Another object is to provide a relatively inexpensive simple means for effecting a good seal between cooperating coupling members, such as between the coupling members used to join hose sections together.
Another object is to improve the sealing between cooperating coupling members with a minimum of change being effected to the coupling members themselves.
Another object is to extend the life of members used for coupling hose sections together and for coupling a hose section to a faucet.
Another object is to effect a good seal between conduit members without requiring any tools or the like.
Another object is to minimize leakages which occur where hoses and other like members are coupled together to an adjacent member.
Another object is to provide a resilient sealing member for use in couplings and the like which has a longer resilient life expectancy that sealing members used heretofor.
Another object is to provide inexpensive means to improve the seal between hose couplings and the like which are adaptable to being packaged in a convenient way for sale and handling.
Another object is to provide means capable of effecting a seal between coupling members even though one or both of the coupling members are somewhat damaged.
Another object is to provide means which, in addition to sealing, protect the interior surfaces of coupling members from deteriorating effects thereon caused by the fluid or other material passing through the coupling.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.
Several different embodiments of the present construction are shown and described in the application, including embodiments wherein two sections of hose are to be connected together, wherein a section of hose is to be connected to a water tap or the like, and wherein a portion of a flexible hose itself is extended through and beyond one of two coupling members to be joined for engagement with a valve seat located in the other member when the members are connected together. In the drawings which follow, like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur, and in the drawings :